The Book of Household Management by Mrs. Isabella Beeton

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_Mode_.--Rub the above ingredients well into the tongues, and keep themin this curing mixture for 2 months, turning them every day. Drain themfrom the pickle, cover with brown paper, and have them smoked for about3 weeks.

_Time_.--The tongues to remain in pickle 2 months; to be smoked 3 weeks.

THE TONGUES OF ANIMALS.--The tongue, whether in the ox or in man, is the seat of the sense of taste. This sense warns the animal against swallowing deleterious substances. Dr. Carpenter says, that, among the lower animals, the instinctive perceptions connected with this sense, are much more remarkable than our own; thus, an omnivorous monkey will seldom touch fruits of a poisonous character, although their taste may be agreeable. However this may be, man's instinct has decided that ox-tongue is better than horse-tongue; nevertheless, the latter is frequently substituted by dishonest dealers for the former. The horse's tongue may be readily distinguished by a spoon-like expansion at its end.

_Mode_.--Lay the tongue for a fortnight in the above pickle, turn itevery day, and be particular that the spices are well pounded; put itinto a small pan just large enough to hold it, place some pieces ofbutter on it, and cover with a common crust. Bake in a slow oven untilso tender that a straw would penetrate it; take off the skin, fasten itdown to a piece of board by running a fork through the root and anotherthrough the tip, at the same time straightening it and putting it intoshape. When cold, glaze it, put a paper ruche round the root, which isgenerally very unsightly, and garnish with tufts of parsley.

_Time_.--From 3 or 4 hours in a slow oven, according to size.

_Average cost_, for a medium-sized uncured tongue, 2s. 6d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

TO DRESS TRIPE.

677. INGREDIENTS.--Tripe, onion sauce, No. 484, milk and water.

_Mode_.--Ascertain that the tripe is quite fresh, and have it cleanedand dressed. Cut away the coarsest fat, and boil it in equal proportionsof milk and water for 3/4 hour. Should the tripe be entirely undressed,more than double that time should be allowed for it. Have ready someonion sauce made by recipe No. 4S4, dish the tripe, smother it with thesauce, and the remainder send to table in a tureen.

_Time_.--1 hour: for undressed tripe, from 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

_Average cost_, 7d. per lb.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.--Tripe may be dressed in a variety of ways: it may be cut inpieces and fried in batter, stewed in gravy with mushrooms, or cut intocollops, sprinkled with minced onion and savoury herbs, and fried a nicebrown in clarified butter.

BEEF CARVING.

AITCHBONE OF BEEF.

A boiled aitch-bone of beef is not a difficult joint to carve, as willbe seen on reference to the accompanying engraving. By following withthe knife the direction of the line from 1 to 2, nice slices will beeasily cut. It may be necessary, as in a round of beef, to cut a thickslice off the outside before commencing to serve.

[Illustration]

BRISKET OF BEEF.

There is but little description necessary to add, to show the carving ofa boiled brisket of beef, beyond the engraving here inserted. The onlypoint to be observed is, that the joint should be cut evenly and firmlyquite across the bones, so that, on its reappearance at table, it shouldnot have a jagged and untidy look.

[Illustration]

RIBS OF BEEF.

This dish resembles the sirloin, except that it has no fillet orundercut. As explained in the recipes, the end piece is often cut off,salted and boiled. The mode of carving is similar to that of thesirloin, viz., in the direction of the dotted line from 1 to 2. Thisjoint will be the more easily cut if the plan be pursued which issuggested in carving the sirloin; namely, the inserting of the knifeimmediately between the bone and the moat, before commencing to cut itinto slices. All joints of roast beef should be cut in even and thinslices. Horseradish, finely scraped, may be served as a garnish; buthorseradish sauce is preferable for eating with the beef.

[Illustration]

SIRLOIN OF BEEF.

This dish is served differently at various tables, some preferring it tocome to table with the fillet, or, as it is usually called, theundercut, uppermost. The reverse way, as shown in the cut, is that mostusually adopted. Still the undercut is best eaten when hot;consequently, the carver himself may raise the joint, and cut someslices from the under side, in the direction of from 1 to 2, as thefillet is very much preferred by some eaters. The upper part of thesirloin should be cut in the direction of the line from 5 to 6, and careshould be taken to carve it evenly and in thin slices. It will be founda great assistance, in carving this joint well, if the knife be firstinserted just above the bone at the bottom, and run sharply alongbetween the bone and meat, and also to divide the meat from the bone inthe same way at the side of the joint. The slices will then come awaymore readily.

[Illustration]

Some carvers cut the upper side of the sirloin across, as shown by theline from 3 to 4; but this is a wasteful plan, and one not to berecommended. With the sirloin, very finely-scraped horseradish isusually served, and a little given, when liked, to each guest.Horseradish sauce is preferable, however, for serving on the plate,although the scraped horseradish may still be used as a garnish.

[Illustration]

A ROUND OF BEEF.

A round of beef is not so easily carved as many other joints of beef,and to manage it properly, a thin-bladed and very sharp knife isnecessary. Off the outside of the joint, at its top, a thick sliceshould first be cut, so as to leave the surface smooth; then thin andeven slices should be cleverly carved in the direction of the line 1 to2; and with each slice of the lean a delicate morsel of the fat shouldbe served.

[Illustration]

BEEF TONGUE.

Passing the knife down in the direction of from 1 to 2, a not too thinslice should be helped; and the carving of a tongue may be continued inthis way until the best portions of the upper side are served. The fatwhich lies about the root of the tongue can be served by turning thetongue, and cutting in the direction of from 3 to 4.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XIV.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE SHEEP AND LAMB.

678. OF ALL WILD or DOMESTICATED ANIMALS, the sheep is, withoutexception, the most useful to man as a food, and the most necessary tohis health and comfort; for it not only supplies him with the lightestand most nutritious of meats, but, in the absence of the cow, its udderyields him milk, cream, and a sound though inferior cheese; while fromits fat he obtains light, and from its fleece broadcloth, kerseymere,blankets, gloves, and hose. Its bones when burnt make an animalcharcoal--ivory black--to polish his boots, and when powdered, a manurefor the cultivation of his wheat; the skin, either split or whole, ismade into a mat for his carriage, a housing for his horse, or a liningfor his hat, and many other useful purposes besides, being extensivelyemployed in the manufacture of parchment; and finally, when oppressed bycare and sorrow, the harmonious strains that carry such soothingcontentment to the heart, are elicited from the musical strings,prepared almost exclusively from the intestines of the sheep.

679. THIS VALUABLE ANIMAL, of which England is estimated to maintain anaverage stock of 32,000,000, belongs to the class already indicatedunder the ox,--the _Mammalia_; to the order of _Rumenantia_, orcud-chewing animal; to the tribe of _Capridae_, or horned quadrupeds;and the genus _Ovis_, or the "sheep." The sheep may be either with orwithout horns; when present, however, they have always this peculiarity,that they spring from a triangular base, are spiral in form, andlateral, at the side of the head, in situation. The fleece of the sheepis of two sorts, either short and harsh, or soft and woolly; the woolalways preponderating in an exact ratio to the care, attention, andamount of domestication bestowed on the animal. The genericpeculiarities of the sheep are the triangular and spiral form of thehorns, always larger in the male when present, but absent in the mostcultivated species; having sinuses at the base of all the toes of thefour feet, with two rudimentary hoofs on the fore legs, two inguinalteats to the udder, with a short tail in the wild breed, but of varyinglength in the domesticated; have no incisor teeth in the upper jaw, butin their place a hard elastic cushion along the margin of the gum, onwhich the animal nips and breaks the herbage on which it feeds; in thelower jaw there are eight incisor teeth and six molars on each side ofboth jaws, making in all 32 teeth. The fleece consists of two coats, oneto keep the animal warm, the other to carry off the water withoutwetting the skin. The first is of wool, the weight and fineness of whichdepend on the quality of the pasture and the care bestowed on the flock;the other of hair, that pierces the wool and overlaps it, and is inexcess in exact proportion to the badness of the keep and inattentionwith which the animal is treated.

680. THE GREAT OBJECT OF THE GRAZIER is to procure an animal that willyield the greatest pecuniary return in the shortest time; or, in otherwords, soonest convert grass and turnips into good mutton and finefleece. All sheep will not do this alike; some, like men, are sorestless and irritable, that no system of feeding, however good, willdevelop their frames or make them fat. The system adopted by the breederto obtain a valuable animal for the butcher, is to enlarge the capacityand functions of the digestive organs, and reduce those of the head andchest, or the mental and respiratory organs. In the first place, themind should be tranquillized, and those spaces that can never produceanimal fibre curtailed, and greater room afforded, as in the abdomen,for those that can. And as nothing militates against the fatteningprocess so much as restlessness, the chief wish of the grazier is tofind a dull, indolent sheep, one who, instead of frisking himself,leaping his wattles, or even condescending to notice the butting gambolsof his silly companions, silently fills his paunch with pasture, andthen seeking a shady nook, indolently and luxuriously chows his cud withclosed eyes and blissful satisfaction, only rising when his deliciousrepast is ended, to proceed silently and without emotion to repeat thepleasing process of laying in more provender, and then returning to hisdreamy siesta to renew the delightful task of rumination. Such animalsare said to have a _lymphatic_ temperament, and are of so kindly anature, that on good pasturage they may be said to grow daily. TheLeicestershire breed is the best example of this lymphatic and contentedanimal, and the active Orkney, who is half goat in his habits, of therestless and unprofitable. The rich pasture of our midland countieswould take years in making the wiry Orkney fat and profitable, while oneday's fatigue in climbing rocks after a coarse and scanty herbage wouldprobably cause the actual death of the pampered and short-windedLeicester.

681. THE MORE REMOVED FROM THE NATURE of the animal is the food on whichit lives, the more difficult is the process of assimilation, and themore complex the chain of digestive organs; for it must be evident toall, that the same apparatus that converts _flesh_ into _flesh_, ishardly calculated to transmute _grass_ into flesh. As the process ofdigestion in carnivorous animals is extremely simple, these organs arefound to be remarkably short, seldom exceeding the length of theanimal's body; while, where digestion is more difficult, from theunassimilating nature of the aliment, as in the ruminant order, thealimentary canal, as is the case with the sheep, is _twenty-seven timesthe length of the body._ The digestive organ in all ruminant animalsconsists of _four stomachs_, or, rather, a capacious pouch, divided bydoorways and valves into four compartments, called, in their order ofposition, the Paunch, the Reticulum, the Omasum, and the Abomasum. Whenthe sheep nibbles the grass, and is ignorantly supposed to be eating, heis, in fact, only preparing the raw material of his meal, in realityonly mowing the pasture, which, as he collects, is swallowed instantly,passing into the first receptacle, the _paunch_, where it is surroundedby a quantity of warm saliva, in which the herbage undergoes a processof maceration or softening, till the animal having filled thiscompartment, the contents pass through a valve into the second orsmaller bag,--the _reticulum_, where, having again filled the paunchwith a reserve, the sheep lies down and commences that singular processof chewing the cud, or, in other words, masticating the food he hascollected. By the operation of a certain set of muscles, a smallquantity of this softened food from the _reticulum_, or second bag, ispassed into the mouth, which it now becomes the pleasure of the sheep togrind under his molar teeth into a soft smooth pulp, the operation beingfurther assisted by a flow of saliva, answering the double purpose ofincreasing the flavour of the aliment and promoting the solvency of themass. Having completely comminuted and blended this mouthful, it isswallowed a second time; but instead of returning to the paunch orreticulum, it passes through another valve into a side cavity,--the_omasum_, where, after a maceration in more saliva for some hours, itglides by the same contrivance into the fourth pouch,--the _abomasum_,an apartment in all respects analogous to the ordinary stomach ofanimals, and where the process of digestion, begun and carried on in theprevious three, is here consummated, and the nutrient principle, bymeans of the bile, eliminated from the digested aliment. Such is theprocess of digestion in sheep and oxen.

682. NO OTHER ANIMAL, even of the same order, possesses in so remarkablea degree the power of converting pasture into flesh as theLeicestershire sheep; the South Down and Cheviot, the two next breeds inquality, are, in consequence of the greater vivacity of the animal'snature, not equal to it in that respect, though in both the brain andchest are kept subservient to the greater capacity of the organs ofdigestion. Besides the advantage of increased bulk and finer fleeces,the breeder seeks to obtain an augmented deposit of tissue in thoseparts of the carcase most esteemed as food, or, what are called in thetrade "prime joints;" and so far has this been effected, that thecomparative weight of the hind quarters over the fore has become a testof quality in the breed, the butchers in some markets charging twopencea pound more for that portion of the sheep. Indeed, so superior are thehind quarters of mutton now regarded, that very many of the West-endbutchers never deal in any other part of the sheep.

683. THE DIFFERENCE IN THE QUALITY OF THE FLESH in various breeds is awell-established fact, not alone in flavour, but also in tenderness; andthat the nature of the pasture on which the sheep is fed influences theflavour of the meat, is equally certain, and shown in the estimation inwhich those flocks are held which have grazed on the thymy heath ofBamstead in Sussex. It is also a well-established truth, that the_larger_ the frame of the animal, the _coarser_ is the meat, and that_small bones_ are both guarantees for the fineness of the breed and thedelicacy of the flesh. The sex too has much to do in determining thequality of the meat; in the males, the lean is closer in fibre, deeperin colour, harder in texture, less juicy, and freer from fat, than inthe female, and is consequently tougher and more difficult of digestion;but probably age, and the character of the pasturage on which they arereared, has, more than any other cause, an influence on the quality andtenderness of the meat.

684. THE NUMEROUS VARIETIES of sheep inhabiting the different regions ofthe earth have been reduced by Cuvier to three, or at most four,species: the _Ovis Amman_, or the Argali, the presumed parent stock ofall the rest; the _Ovis Tragelaphus_, the bearded sheep of Africa; the_Ovis Musmon_, the Musmon of Southern Europe; and the _Ovis Montana_,the Mouflon of America; though it is believed by many naturalists thatthis last is so nearly identical with the Indian Argali as to beundeserving a separate place. It is still a controversy to which ofthese three we are indebted for the many breeds of modern domestication;the Argali, however, by general belief, has been considered as the most_probable_ progenitor of the present varieties.

685. THE EFFECTS PRODUCED BY CHANGE OF CLIMATE, accident, and othercauses, must have been great to accomplish so complete a physicalalteration as the primitive Argali must have undergone before theMusmon, or Mouflon of Corsica, the _immediate_ progenitor of all ourEuropean breeds, assumed his present appearance. The Argali is about afifth larger in size than the ordinary English sheep, and being a nativeof a tropical clime, his fleece is of hair instead of wool, and of awarm reddish brown, approaching to yellow; a thick mane of darker hair,about seven inches long, commences from two long tufts at the angle ofthe jaws, and, running _under_ the throat and neck, descends down thechest, dividing, at the fore fork, into two parts, one running down thefront of each leg, as low as the shank. The horns, unlike the characterof the order generally, have a quadrangular base, and, sweeping inwards,terminate in a sharp point. The tail, about seven inches long, ends in atuft of stiff hairs. From this remarkable muffler-looking beard, theFrench have given the species the name of _Mouflon a manchettes_. Fromthe primitive stock _eleven_ varieties have been reared in this country,of the domesticated sheep, each supposed by their advocates to possesssome one or more special qualities. These eleven, embracing the Shetlandor Orkney; the Dun-woolled; Black-faced, or heath-bred; the Moorland, orDevonshire; the Cheviot; the Horned, of Norfolk the Ryeland; South-Down;the Merino; the Old Leicester, and the Teeswater, or New Leicester, haveof late years been epitomized; and, for all useful and practicalpurposes, reduced to the following four orders:--

686. THE SOUTH-DOWN, the LEICESTER, the BLACK-FACED, and the CHEVIOT.

[Illustration: SOUTH-DOWN RAM.]

[Illustration: SOUTH-DOWN EWE.]

687. SOUTH-DOWNS.--It appears, as far as our investigation can trace thefact, that from the very earliest epoch of agricultural history inEngland, the breezy range of light chalky hills running through thesouth-west and south of Sussex and Hampshire, and known as theSouth-Downs, has been famous for a superior race of sheep; and we findthe Romans early established mills and a cloth-factory at Winchester,where they may be said to terminate, which rose to such estimation, fromthe fineness of the wool and texture of the cloth, that the produce waskept as only worthy to clothe emperors. From this, it may be inferredthat sheep have always been indigenous to this hilly tract. Thoughboasting so remote a reputation, it is comparatively within late yearsthat the improvement and present state of perfection of this breed hasbeen effected, the South-Down new ranking, for symmetry of shape,constitution, and early maturity, with any stock in the kingdom. TheSouth-Down has no horns, is covered with a fine wool from two to threeinches long, has a small head, and legs and face of a grey colour. Itis, however, considered deficient in depth and breadth of chest. Amarked peculiarity of this breed is that its hind quarters stand higherthan the fore, the quarters weighing from fifteen to eighteen pounds.

[Illustration: LEICESTER RAM.]

[Illustration: LEICESTER EWE.]

688. THE LEICESTER.--It was not till the year 1755 that Mr. RobertBakewell directed his attention to the improvement of his stock ofsheep, and ultimately effected that change in the character of his flockwhich has brought the breed to hold so prominent a place. The Leicesteris regarded as the largest example of the improved breeds, veryproductive, and yielding a good fleece. He has a small head, coveredwith short white hairs, a clean muzzle, an open countenance, full eye,long thin ear, tapering neck, well-arched ribs, and straight back. Themeat is indifferent, its flavour not being so good as that of theSouth-Down, and there is a very large proportion of fat. Average weightof carcase from 90 to 100 lbs.

[Illustration: HEATH RAM.]

[Illustration: HEATH EWE.]

689. BLACK-FACED, on HEATH-BRED SHEEP.--This is the most hardy of allour native breeds, and originally came from Ettrick Forest. The face andlegs are black, or sometimes mottled, the horns spiral, and on the topof the forehead it has a small round tuft of lighter-coloured wool thanon the face; has the muzzle and lips of the same light hue, and whatshepherds call a mealy mouth; the eye is full of vivacity and fire, andwell open; the body long, round, and firm, and the limbs robust. Thewool is thin, coarse, and light. Weight of the quarter, from 10 to 16lbs.

690. THE CHEVIOT.--From the earliest traditions, these hills in theNorth, like the chalk-ridges in the South, have possessed a race oflarge-carcased sheep, producing a valuable fleece. To these physicaladvantages, they added a sound constitution, remarkable vigour, andcapability to endure great privation. Both sexes are destitute of horns,face white, legs long and clean, carries the head erect, has the throatand neck well covered, the cars long and open, and the face animated.The Cheviot is a small-boned sheep, and well covered with wool to thehough; the only defect in this breed, is in a want of depth in thechest. Weight of the quarter, from 12 to 18 lbs.

[Illustration: ROMNEY-MARSH RAM.]

[Illustration: ROMNEY-MARSH EWE.]

691. THOUGH THE ROMNEY MARSHES, that wide tract of morass and lowlandmoor extending from the Weald (or ancient forest) of Kent into Sussex,has rather been regarded as a general feeding-ground for any kind ofsheep to be pastured on, it has yet, from the earliest date, been famousfor a breed of animals almost peculiar to the locality, and especiallyfor size, length, thickness, and quantity of wool, and what is calledthickness of stocking; and on this account for ages held pre-eminenceover every other breed in the kingdom. So satisfied were the Kentish menwith the superiority of their sheep, that they long resisted anycrossing in the breed. At length, however, this was effected, and fromthe Old Romney and New Leicester a stock was produced that proved, in aneminent degree, the advantage of the cross; and though the breed wasactually smaller than the original, it was found that the new stock didnot consume so much food, the stocking was increased, they were readyfor the market a _year_ sooner; that the fat formed more on the exteriorof the carcase, where it was of most advantage to the grazier, ratherthan as formerly in the interior, where it went to the butcher as offal;and though the wool was shorter and lighter, it was of a better colour,finer, and possessed of superior felting properties.

692. THE ROMNEY MARSH BREED is a large animal, deep, close, and compact,with white face and legs, and yields a heavy fleece of a good staplequality. The general structure is, however, considered defective, thechest being narrow and the extremities coarse; nevertheless its tendencyto fatten, and its early maturity, are universally admitted. The RomneyMarsh, therefore, though not ranking as a first class in respect ofperfection and symmetry of breed, is a highly useful, profitable, andgenerally advantageous variety of the English domestic sheep.

693. DIFFERENT NAMES HAVE BEEN GIVEN to sheep by their breeders,according to their age and sex. The male is called a ram, or tup; afterweaning, he is said to be a hog, or hogget, or a lamb-hog, tup-hog, orteg; later he is a wether, or wether-hog; after the first shearing, ashearing, or dinmont; and after each succeeding shearing, a two, three,or four-shear ram, tup, or wether, according to circumstances. Thefemale is called a ewe, or gimmer-lamb, till weaned, when she becomes,according to the shepherd's nomenclature, a gimmer-ewe, hog, or teg;after shearing, a gimmer or shearing-ewe, or theave; and in future atwo, three, or four-shear ewe, or theave.

694. THE MODE OF SLAUGHTERING SHEEP is perhaps as humane and expeditiousa process as could be adopted to attain the objects sought: the animalbeing laid on its side in a sort of concave stool, the butcher, whilepressing the body with his knee, transfixes the throat near the angle ofthe jaw, passing his knife between the windpipe and bones of the neck;thus dividing the jugulars, carotids, and large vessels, the death beingvery rapid from such a hemorrhage.

[Illustration: SIDE OF MUTTON, SHOWING THE SEVERAL JOINTS.]

695. ALMOST EVERY LARGE CITY has a particular manner of cutting up, or,as it is called, dressing the carcase. In London this process is verysimple, and as our butchers have found that much skewering back,doubling one part over another, or scoring the inner cuticle or fell,tends to spoil the meat and shorten the time it would otherwise keep,they avoid all such treatment entirely. The carcase when flayed (whichoperation is performed while yet warm), the sheep when hung up and thehead removed, presents the profile shown in our cut; the small numeralsindicating the parts or joints into which one half of the animal is cut.After separating the hind from the fore quarters, with eleven ribs tothe latter, the quarters are usually subdivided in the manner shown inthe sketch, in which the several joins are defined by the interveninglines and figures. _Hind quarter_: No. 1, the leg; 2, the loin--the two,when cut in one piece, being called the saddle. _Fore quarter_: No. 3,the shoulder; 4 and 5 the neck; No. 5 being called, for distinction, thescrag, which is generally afterwards separated from 4, the lower andbetter joint; No. 6, the breast. The haunch of mutton, so often servedat public dinners and special entertainments, comprises all the leg andso much of the loin, short of the ribs or lap, as is indicated on theupper part of the carcase by a dotted line.

696. THE GENTLE AND TIMID DISPOSITION of the sheep, and its defencelesscondition, must very early have attached it to man for motives lessselfish than either its fleece or its flesh; for it has been provedbeyond a doubt that, obtuse as we generally regard it, it is susceptibleof a high degree of domesticity, obedience, and affection. In many partsof Europe, where the flocks are guided by the shepherd's voice alone, itis no unusual thing for a sheep to quit the herd when called by itsname, and follow the keeper like a dog. In the mountains of Scotland,when a flock is invaded by a savage dog, the rams have been known toform the herd into a circle, and placing themselves on the outside line,keep the enemy at bay, or charging on him in a troop, have despatchedhim with their horns.

697. THE VALUE OF THE SHEEP seems to have been early understood by Adamin his fallen state; his skin not only affording him protection for hisbody, but a covering for his tent; and accordingly, we find Abelintrusted with this portion of his father's stock; for the Bible tellsus that "Abel was a keeper of sheep." What other animals weredomesticated at that time we can only conjecture, or at what exactperiod the flesh of the sheep was first eaten for food by man, isequally, if not uncertain, open to controversy. For though someauthorities maintain the contrary, it is but natural to suppose thatwhen Abel brought firstlings of his flock, "and the fat thereof," as asacrifice, the less dainty portions, not being oblations, were hardlylikely to have been flung away as refuse. Indeed, without supposing Adamand his descendants to have eaten animal food, we cannot reconcile thefact of Jubal Cain, Cain's son, and his family, living in tents, as theyare reported to have done, knowing that both their own garments and thecoverings of the tents, were made from the hides and skins of theanimals they bred; for the number of sheep and oxen slain for oblationsonly, would not have supplied sufficient material for two such necessarypurposes. The opposite opinion is, that animal food was not eaten tillafter the Flood, when the Lord renewed his covenant with Noah. FromScriptural authority we learn many interesting facts as regards thesheep: the first, that mutton fat was considered the most deliciousportion of any meat, and the tail and adjacent part the most exquisitemorsel in the whole body; consequently, such were regarded as especiallyfit for the offer of sacrifice. From this fact we may reasonably inferthat the animal still so often met with in Palestine and Syria, andknown as the Fat-tailed sheep, was in use in the days of the patriarchs,though probably not then of the size and weight it now attains to; asupposition that gains greater strength, when it is remembered that theram Abraham found in the bush, when he went to offer up Isaac, was ahorned animal, being entangled in the brake by his curved horns; so farproving that it belonged to the tribe of the Capridae, the fat-tailedsheep appertaining to the same family.

LAMBS.

698. THOUGH THE LAMBING SEASON IN THIS COUNTRY usually commences inMarch, under the artificial system, so much pursued now to please theappetite of luxury, lambs can be procured at all seasons. When, however,the sheep lambs in mid-winter, or the inclemency of the weather wouldendanger the lives of mother and young, if exposed to its influence, itis customary to rear the lambs within-doors, and under the shelter ofstables or barns, where, foddered on soft hay, and part fed on cow'smilk, the little creatures thrive rapidly: to such it is customary togive the name of House Lamb, to distinguish it from that reared in theopen air, or grass-fed. The ewe goes five months with her young, about152 days, or close on 22 weeks. The weaning season commences on poorlands, about the end of the third month, but on rich pasture not tillthe close of the fourth--sometimes longer.

699. FROM THE LARGE PROPORTION OF MOISTURE OR FLUIDS contained in thetissues of all young animals, the flesh of lamb and veal is much moreprone, in close, damp weather, to become tainted and spoil than theflesh of the more mature, drier, and closer-textured beef and mutton.Among epicures, the most delicious sorts of lamb are those of theSouth-Down breed, known by their black feet; and of these, those whichhave been exclusively suckled on the milk of the parent ewe, areconsidered the finest. Next to these in estimation are those fed on themilk of several dams, and last of all, though the fattest, the grass-fedlamb; this, however, implies an age much greater than either of theothers.

[Illustration: SIDE OF LAMB.]

700. LAMB, in the early part of the season, however reared, is inLondon, and indeed generally, sold in quarters, divided with eleven ribsto the forequarter; but, as the season advances, these are subdividedinto two, and the hind-quarter in the same manner; the first consistingof the shoulder, and the neck and breast; the latter, of the leg and theloin,--as shown in the cut illustrative of mutton. As lamb, from thejuicy nature of its flesh, is especially liable to spoil in unfavourableweather, it should be frequently wiped, so as to remove any moisturethat may form on it.

701. IN THE PURCHASING OF LAMB FOR THE TABLE, there are certain signs bywhich the experienced judgment is able to form an accurate opinionwhether the animal has been lately slaughtered, and whether the jointspossess that condition of fibre indicative of good and wholesome meat.The first of these doubts may be solved satisfactorily by the bright anddilated appearance of the eye; the quality of the fore-quarter canalways be guaranteed by the blue or healthy ruddiness of the jugular, orvein of the neck; while the rigidity of the knuckle, and the firm,compact feel of the kidney, will answer in an equally positive mannerfor the integrity of the hind-quarter.

_Mode_.--Mince an onion rather fine, and fry it a light-brown colour;add the herbs and mutton, both of which should be also finely minced andwell mixed; season with pepper and salt, and a little pounded mace ornutmeg, and moisten with the above proportion of gravy. Put a layer ofmashed potatoes at the bottom of a dish, then the mutton, and thenanother layer of potatoes, and bake for about 1/2 hour.

_Time_.--1/2 hour. _Average cost_, exclusive of the meat, 4d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.--If there should be a large quantity of meat, use 2 onionsinstead of 1.

_Mode_.--Cut off the superfluous fat; bone it; sprinkle over a layer ofbread crumbs, minced herbs, and seasoning; roll, and bind it up firmly.Boil _gently_ for 2 hours, remove the tape, and serve with caper sauce,No. 382, a little of which should be poured over the meat.

_Time_.--2 hours. _Average cost_, 6d. per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ all the year.

BOILED LEG OF MUTTON.

705. INGREDIENTS.--Mutton, water, salt.

_Mode_.--A. leg of mutton for boiling should not hang too long, as itwill not look a good colour when dressed. Cut off the shank-bone, trimthe knuckle, and wash and wipe it very clean; plunge it into sufficientboiling water to cover it; let it boil up, then draw the saucepan to theside of the fire, where it should remain till the finger can be borne inthe water. Then place it sufficiently near the fire, that the water maygently simmer, and be very careful that it does not boil fast, or themeat will be hard. Skim well, add a little salt, and in about 2-1/4hours after the water begins to simmer, a moderate-sized leg of muttonwill be done. Serve with carrots and mashed turnips, which may be boiledwith the meat, and send caper sauce (No. 382) to table with it in atureen.

_Seasonable_ nearly all the year, but not so good in June, July, andAugust.

_Note_.--When meat is liked very _thoroughly_ cooked, allow more timethan stated above. The liquor this joint was boiled in should beconverted into soup.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD.--The sheep's complete dependence upon the shepherd for protection from its numerous enemies is frequently referred to in the Bible; thus the Psalmist likens himself to a lost sheep, and prays the Almighty to seek his servant; and our Saviour, when despatching his twelve chosen disciples to preach the Gospel amongst their unbelieving brethren, compares them to lambs going amongst wolves. The shepherd of the East, by kind treatment, calls forth from his sheep unmistakable signs of affection. The sheep obey his voice and recognize the names by which he calls them, and they follow him in and out of the fold. The beautiful figure of the "good shepherd," which so often occurs in the New Testament, expresses the tenderness of the Saviour for mankind. "The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."--_John_, x. 11. "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known by mine."--_John_, x. 14. "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice: and there shall be one fold and one shepherd."--_John_, x. 16.

_Mode_.--Make a forcemeat by recipe No. 417, to which add 2finely-minced shalots. Bone the leg of mutton, without spoiling theskin, and cut off a great deal of the fat. Fill the hole up whence thebone was taken, with the forcemeat, and sew it up underneath, to preventits falling out. Bind and tie it up compactly, and roast it before anice clear fire for about 2-1/2 hours or rather longer; remove the tapeand send it to table with a good gravy. It may be glazed or not, aspreferred.

_Time_.--2-1/2 hours, or rather longer. _Average cost_, 4s. 8d.

_Sufficient_ for 6 or 7 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

BRAISED FILLET OF MUTTON, with French Beans.

707. INGREDIENTS.--The chump end of a loin of mutton, buttered paper,French beans, a little glaze, 1 pint of gravy.

_Mode_.--Roll up the mutton in a piece of buttered paper, roast it for 2hours, and do not allow it to acquire the least colour. Have ready someFrench beans, boiled, and drained on a sieve; remove the paper from themutton, glaze it; just heat up the beans in the gravy, and lay them onthe dish with the meat over them. The remainder of the gravy may bestrained, and sent to table in a tureen.

_Time_.--2 hours. _Average cost_, 8-1/2d. per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

VARIOUS QUALITIES OF MUTTON--Mutton is, undoubtedly, the meat most generally used in families; and, both by connoisseurs and medical men, it stands first in favour, whether its the favour, digestible qualifications, or general wholesomeness, be considered. Of all mutton, that furnished by South-Down sheep is the most highly esteemed; it is also the dearest, on account of its scarcity, and the great demand of it. Therefore, if the housekeeper is told by the butcher that he has not any in his shop, it should not occasion disappointment to the purchaser. The London and other markets are chiefly supplied with sheep called half-breeds, which are a cross between the Down and Lincoln or Leicester. These half-breeds make a greater weight of mutton than the true South-Downs, and, for this very desirable qualification, they are preferred by the great sheep-masters. The legs of this mutton range from 7 to 11 lbs. in weight; the shoulders, necks, or loins, about 6 to 9 lbs.; and if care is taken not to purchase it; the shoulders, necks, or loins, about 8 to 9 lbs.; and it cure is taken not to purchase it too fat, it will be found the most satisfactory and economical mutton that can be bought.

BRAISED LEG OF MUTTON.

708. INGREDIENTS.--1 small leg of mutton, 4 carrots, 3 onions, 1 faggotof savoury herbs, a bunch of parsley, seasoning to taste of pepper andsalt, a few slices of bacon, a few veal trimmings, 1/2 pint of gravy orwater.

_Mode_.--Line the bottom of a braising-pan with a few slices of bacon,put in the carrots, onions, herbs, parsley, and seasoning, and overthese place the mutton. Cover the whole with a few more slices of baconand the veal trimmings, pour in the gravy or water, and stew very gentlyfor 4 hours. Strain the gravy, reduce it to a glaze over a sharp fire,glaze the mutton with it, and send it to table, placed on a dish ofwhite haricot beans boiled tender, or garnished with glazed onions.

_Time_.--4 hours. Average cost, 5s.

_Sufficient_ for 6 or 7 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

THE ORDER OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE.--This order of knighthood was founded by Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy, in 1429, on the day of his marriage with the Princess Isabella of Portugal. The number of the members was originally fixed at thirty-one, including the sovereign, as the head and chief of the institution. In 1516, Pope Leo X. consented to increase the number to fifty-two, including the head. In 1700 the German emperor Charles VI. and King Philip of Spain both laid claim to the order. The former, however, on leaving Spain, which he could not maintain by force of arms, took with him, to Vienna, the archives of the order, the inauguration of which he solemnized there in 1713, with great magnificence; but Philip V. of Spain declared himself Grand Master, and formally protested, at the congress of Cambrai (1721), against the pretensions of the emperor. The dispute, though subsequently settled by the intercession of France, England, and Holland, was frequently renewed, until the order was tacitly introduced into both countries, and it now passes by the respective names of the Spanish or Austrian "Order of the Golden Fleece," according to the country where it is issued.

_Mode_.--Cut the mutton into pieces about 2 inches square, and let it betolerably lean; put it into a stewpan, with a little fat or butter, andfry it of a nice brown; then dredge in a little flour, slice the onions,and put it with the herbs in the stewpan; pour in sufficient water_just_ to cover the meat, and simmer the whole gently until the muttonis tender. Take out the meat, strain, and skim off all the fat from thegravy, and put both the meat and gravy back into the stewpan; add abouta quart of young green peas, and let them boil gently until done. 2 or 3slices of bacon added and stewed with the mutton give additionalflavour; and, to insure the peas being a beautiful green colour, theymay be boiled in water separately, and added to the stew at the momentof serving.

_Time_.--2-1/2 hours.

_Average cost_, 6d. per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.

_Seasonable_ from June to August.

NAMES OF ANIMALS SAXON, AND OF THEIR FLESH NORMAN.--The names of all our domestic animals are of Saxon origin; but it is curious to observe that Norman names have been given to the different sorts of flesh which these animals yield. How beautifully this illustrates the relative position of Saxon and Norman after the Conquest. The Saxon hind had the charge of tending and feeding the domestic animals, but only that they might appear on the table of his Norman lord. Thus 'ox,' 'steer,' 'cow,' are Saxon, but 'beef' is Norman; 'calf' is Saxon, but 'veal' Norman; 'sheep' is Saxon, but 'mutton' Norman; so it is severally with 'deer' and 'venison,' 'swine' and 'pork,' 'fowl' and 'pullet.' 'Bacon,' the only flesh which, perhaps, ever came within his reach, is the single exception.

_Mode_.--Cut some nice slices from a cold leg or shoulder of mutton;season them with pepper and salt, and broil over a clear fire. Make sometomato sauce by recipe No. 529, pour it over the mutton, and serve. Thismakes an excellent dish, and must be served very hot.

_Time_.--About 5 minutes to broil the mutton.

_Seasonable_ in September and October, when tomatoes are plentiful andseasonable.

SHEPHERDS AND THEIR FLOCKS.--The shepherd's crook is older than either the husbandman's plough or the warrior's sword. We are told that Abel was a keeper of sheep. Many passages in holy writ enable us to appreciate the pastoral riches of the first eastern nations; and we can form an idea of the number of their flocks, when we read that Jacob gave the children of Hamor a hundred sheep for the price of a field, and that the king of Israel received a hundred thousand every year from the king of Moab, his tributary, and a like number of rams covered with their fleece. The tendency which most sheep have to ramble, renders it necessary for them to be attended by a shepherd. To keep a flock within bounds, is no easy task; but the watchful shepherd manages to accomplish it without harassing the sheep. In the Highlands of Scotland, where the herbage is scanty, the sheep-farm requires to be very large, and to be watched over by many shepherds. The farms of some of the great Scottish landowners are of enormous extent. "How many sheep have you on your estate?" asked Prince Esterhazy of the duke of Argyll. "I have not the most remote idea," replied the duke; "but I know the shepherds number several thousands."

BROILED MUTTON CHOPS.

711. INGREDIENTS.--Loin of mutton, pepper and salt, a small piece ofbutter.

_Mode_.--Cut the chops from a well-hung tender loin of mutton, remove aportion of the fat, and trim them into a nice shape; slightly beat andlevel them; place the gridiron over a bright clear fire, rub the barswith a little fat, and lay on the chops. Whilst broiling, frequentlyturn them, and in about 8 minutes they will be done. Season with pepperand salt, dish them on a very hot dish, rub a small piece of butter oneach chop, and serve very hot and expeditiously.

_Mode_.--Mince the above quantity of undressed leg, loin, or neck ofmutton, adding a little of the fat, also minced; put it into a stewpanwith the remaining ingredients, previously shredding the lettuce andonion rather fine; closely cover the stewpan, after the ingredients havebeen well stirred, and simmer gently for rather more than 2 hours. Servein a dish, with a border of rice round, the same as for curry.

_Mode_.--Slice the onions in thin rings, and put them into a stewpanwith the butter, and fry of a light brown; stir in the curry powder,flour, and salt, and mix all well together. Cut the meat into nice thinslices (if there is not sufficient to do this, it may be minced), andadd it to the other ingredients; when well browned, add the stock orgravy, and stew gently for about 1/2 hour. Serve in a dish with a borderof boiled rice, the same as for other curries.

_Mode_.--Cut the remains of cold loin or neck of mutton into cutlets,trim them, and take away a portion of the fat, should there be too much;dip them in beaten egg, and sprinkle with bread crumbs, and fry them anice brown in hot dripping. Arrange them on a dish, and pour round themeither a good gravy or hot tomato sauce.

_Time_.--About 7 minutes.

_Seasonable_.--Tomatoes to be had most reasonably in September andOctober.

_Mode_.--Chop the meat, suet, and rice finely; mix well together, andadd a high seasoning of pepper and salt, and roll into sausages; coverthem with egg and bread crumbs, and fry in hot dripping of a nice brown.Serve in a dish with made gravy poured round them, and a little in atureen.

_Time_.--1/2 hour to fry the sausages.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the meat, 6d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

THE GOLDEN FLEECE.--The ancient fable of the Golden Fleece may be thus briefly told:--Phryxus, a son of Athamus, king of Thebes, to escape the persecutions of his stepmother Ino, paid a visit to his friend Aeetes, king of Colchis. A ram, whose fleece was of pure gold, carried the youth through the air in a most obliging manner to the court of his friend. When safe At Colchis, Phryxus offered the ram on the altars of Mars, and pocketed the fleece. The king received him with great kindness, and gave him his daughter Chalciope in marriage; but, some time after, he murdered him in order to obtain possession of the precious fleece. The murder of Phryxus was amply revenged by the Greeks. It gave rise to the famous Argonautic expedition, undertaken by Jason and fifty of the most celebrated heroes of Greece. The Argonauts recovered the fleece by the help of the celebrated sorceress Medea, daughter of Aeetes, who fell desperately in love with the gallant but faithless Jason. In the story of the voyage of the Argo, a substratum of truth probably exists, though overlaid by a mass of fiction. The ram which carried Phryxus to Colchis is by some supposed to have been the name of the ship in which he embarked. The fleece of gold is thought to represent the immense treasures he bore away from Thebes. The alchemists of the fifteenth century were firmly convinced that the Golden Fleece was a treatise on the transmutation of metals, written on sheepskin.

HARICOT MUTTON.

I.

716. INGREDIENTS.--4 lbs. of the middle or best end of the neck ofmutton, 3 carrots, 3 turnips, 3 onions, popper and salt to taste, 1tablespoonful of ketchup or Harvey's sauce.

_Mode_.--Trim off some of the fat, cut the mutton into rather thinchops, and put them into a frying-pan with the fat trimmings. Fry of apale brown, but do not cook them enough for eating. Cut the carrots andturnips into dice, and the onions into slices, and slightly fry them inthe same fat that the mutton was browned in, but do not allow them totake any colour. Now lay the mutton at the bottom of a stewpan, then thevegetables, and pour over them just sufficient boiling water to coverthe whole. Give one boil, skim well, and then set the pan on the side ofthe fire to simmer gently until the meat is tender. Skim off everyparticle of fat, add a seasoning of pepper and salt, and a littleketchup, and serve. This dish is very much better if made the day beforeit is wanted for table, as the fat can be so much more easily removedwhen the gravy is cold. This should be particularly attended to, as itis apt to be rather rich and greasy if eaten the same day it is made. Itshould be served in rather a deep dish.

_Mode_.--Cut the mutton into square pieces, and fry them a nice colour;then dredge over them a little flour and a seasoning of pepper and salt.Put all into a stewpan, and moisten with boiling water, adding theonion, stuck with 3 cloves, the mace, and herbs. Simmer gently till themeat is nearly done, skim off all the fat, and then add the carrots andturnips, which should previously be cut in dice and fried in a littlesugar to colour them. Let the whole simmer again for 10 minutes; takeout the onion and bunch of herbs, and serve.

_Mode_.--Cut the cold mutton into moderate-sized chops, and take off thefat; slice the onions, and fry them with the chops, in a little butter,of a nice brown colour; stir in the flour, add the gravy, and let itstew gently nearly an hour. In the mean time boil the vegetables until_nearly_ tender, slice them, and add them to the mutton about 1/4 hourbefore it is to be served. Season with pepper and salt, add the ketchupand port wine, give one boil, and serve.

_Mode_.--Cut the meat in nice even slices from the bones, trimming offall superfluous fat and gristle; chop the bones and fragments of thejoint, put them into a stewpan with the pepper, spice, herbs, andcelery; cover with water, and simmer for 1 hour. Slice and fry the onionof a nice pale-brown colour, dredge in a little flour to make it thick,and add this to the bones, &c. Stew for 1/4 hour, strain the gravy, andlet it cool; then skim off every particle of fat, and put it, with themeat, into a stewpan. Flavour with ketchup, Harvey's sauce; tomatosauce, or any flavouring that may be preferred, and let the meatgradually warm through, but not boil, or it will harden. To hash meatproperly, it should be laid in cold gravy, and only left on the firejust long enough to warm through.

_Time_.--1-1/2 hour to simmer the gravy.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the meat, 4d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

HASHED MUTTON.--Many persons express a decided aversion to hashed mutton; and, doubtless, this dislike has arisen from the fact that they have unfortunately never been properly served with this dish. If properly done, however, the meat tender (it ought to be as tender as when first roasted), the gravy abundant and well flavoured, and the sippets nicely toasted, and the whole served neatly; then, hashed mutton is by no means to be despised, and is infinitely more wholesome and appetizing than the cold leg or shoulder, of which fathers and husbands, and their bachelor friends, stand in such natural awe.

_Mode_.--Mince the mutton, and cut up the lettuces and onions in slices.Put these in a stewpan, with all the ingredients except the peas, andlet these simmer very gently for 3/4 hour, keeping them well stirred.Boil the peas separately, mix these with the mutton, and serve very hot.

_Time_.--3/4 hour.

_Sufficient_ for 3 or 4 persons.

_Seasonable_ from the end of May to August.

IRISH STEW.

I.

721. INGREDIENTS.--3 lbs. of the loin or neck of mutton, 5 lbs. ofpotatoes, 5 large onions, pepper and salt to taste, rather more than 1pint of water.

_Mode_.--Trim off some of the fat of the above quantity of loin or neckof mutton, and cut it into chops of a moderate thickness. Pare and halvethe potatoes, and cut the onions into thick slices. Put a layer ofpotatoes at the bottom of a stewpan, then a layer of mutton and onions,and season with pepper and salt; proceed in this manner until thestewpan is full, taking care to have plenty of vegetables at the top.Pour in the water, and let it stew very gently for 2-1/2 hours, keepingthe lid of the stewpan closely shut the _whole_ time, and occasionallyshaking it to prevent its burning.

_Time_.--2-1/2 hours.

_Average cost_, for this quantity, 2s. 8d.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_.--More suitable for a winter dish.

II.

722. INGREDIENTS.--2 or 3 lbs. of the breast of mutton, 1-1/2 pint ofwater, salt and pepper to taste, 4 lbs. of potatoes, 4 large onions.

_Mode_.--Put the mutton into a stewpan with the water and a little salt,and let it stew gently for an hour; cut the meat into small pieces, skimthe fat from the gravy, and pare and slice the potatoes and onions. Putall the ingredients into the stewpan in layers, first a layer ofvegetables, then one of meat, and sprinkle seasoning of pepper and saltbetween each layer; cover closely, and let the whole stew very gentlyfor 1 hour of rather more, shaking it frequently to prevent its burning.

_Time_.--Rather more than 2 hours. _Average cost_, 1s, 6d.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_.--Suitable for a winter dish.

_Note_.--Irish stew may be prepared in the same manner as above, butbaked in a jar instead of boiled. About 2 hours or rather more in amoderate oven will be sufficient time to bake it.

_Mode_.--Cut the mutton into nicely-shaped cutlets, flatten them, andtrim off some of the fat, dip them in clarified butter, and then, intothe beaten yolk of an egg. Mix well together bread crumbs, herbs,parsley, shalot, lemon-peel, and seasoning in the above proportion, andcover the cutlets with these ingredients. Melt some butter in afrying-pan, lay in the cutlets, and fry them a nice brown; take them,out, and keep them hot before the fire. Dredge some flour into the pan,and if there is not sufficient butter, add a little more; stir till itlooks brown, then pour in the hot broth or water, and the remainingingredients; give one boil, and pour round the cutlets. If the gravyshould not be thick enough, add a little more flour. Mushrooms, whenobtainable, are a great improvement to this dish, and when not inseason, mushroom-powder may be substituted for them.

_Time_.--10 minutes;--rather longer, should the cutlets be very thick.

_Average cost_, 2s. 9d.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

THE DOWNS.--The well-known substance chalk, which the chemist regards as a nearly pure carbonate of lime, and the microscopist as an aggregation of inconceivably minute shells and corals, forms the sub-soil of the hilly districts of the south-east of England. The chalk-hills known as the South Downs start from the bold promontory of Beachy Head, traverse the county of Sussex from east to west, and pass through Hampshire into Surrey. The North Downs extend from Godalming, by Godstone, into Kent, and terminate in the line of cliffs which stretches from Dover to Ramsgate. The Downs are clothed with short verdant turf; but the layer of soil which rests upon the chalk is too thin to support trees and shrubs. The hills have rounded summits, and their smooth, undulated outlines are unbroken save by the sepulchral monuments of the early inhabitants of the country. The coombes and furrows, which ramify and extend into deep valleys, appear like dried-up channels of streams and rivulets. From time immemorial, immense flocks of sheep have been reared on these downs. The herbage of these hills is remarkably nutritious; and whilst the natural healthiness of the climate, consequent on the dryness of the air and the moderate elevation of the land, is eminently favourable to rearing a superior race of sheep, the arable land in the immediate neighbourhood of the Downs affords the means of a supply of other food, when the natural produce of the hills fails. The mutton of the South-Down breed of sheep is highly valued for its delicate flavour, and the wool for its fineness; but the best specimens of this breed, when imported from England into the West Indies, become miserably lean in the course of a year or two, and their woolly fleece gives place to a covering of short, crisp, brownish hair.

BROILED KIDNEYS (a Breakfast or Supper Dish).

724. INGREDIENTS.--Sheep kidneys, pepper and salt to taste.

_Mode_.--Ascertain that the kidneys are fresh, and cut them open veryevenly, lengthwise, down to the root, for should one half be thickerthan the other, one would be underdone whilst the other would be dried,but do not separate them; skin them, and pass a skewer under the whitepart of each half to keep them flat, and broil over a nice clear fire,placing the inside downwards; turn them when done enough on one side,and cook them on the other. Remove the skewers, place the kidneys on avery hot dish, season with pepper and salt, and put a tiny piece ofbutter in the middle of each; serve very hot and quickly, and send veryhot plates to table.

_Time_.--6 to 8 minutes.

_Average cost_, 1-1/2d. each.

_Sufficient_.--Allow 1 for each person.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.--A prettier dish than the above may be made by serving thekidneys each on a piece of buttered toast out in any fanciful shape. Inthis case a little lemon-juice will be found an improvement.

[Illustration: KIDNEYS.]

FRIED KIDNEYS.

725. INGREDIENTS.--Kidneys, butter, pepper and salt to taste.

_Mode_.--Cut the kidneys open without quite dividing them, remove theskin, and put a small piece of butter in the frying-pan. When the butteris melted, lay in the kidneys the flat side downwards, and fry them for7 or 8 minutes, turning them when they are half-done. Serve on a pieceof dry toast, season with pepper and salt, and put a small piece ofbutter in each kidney; pour the gravy from the pan over them, and servevery hot.

_Time_.--7 or 8 minutes.

_Average cost_, 1-1/2d. each.

_Sufficient_.--Allow 1 kidney to each person.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

ROAST HAUNCH OF MUTTON.

[Illustration: HAUNCH OF MUTTON.]

726. INGREDIENTS.--Haunch of mutton, a little salt, flour.

_Mode_.--Let this joint hang as long as possible without becomingtainted, and while hanging dust flour over it, which keeps off theflies, and prevents the air from getting to it. If not well hung, thejoint, when it comes to table, will neither do credit to the butcher orthe cook, as it will not be tender. Wash the outside well, lest itshould have a bad flavour from keeping; then flour it and put it down toa nice brisk fire, at some distance, so that it may gradually warmthrough. Keep continually basting, and about 1/2 hour before it isserved, draw it nearer to the fire to get nicely brown. Sprinkle alittle fine salt over the meat, pour off the dripping, add a littleboiling water slightly salted, and strain this over the joint. Place apaper ruche on the bone, and send red-currant jelly and gravy in atureen to table with it.

_Time_.--About 4 hours.

_Average cost_, 10d. per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 8 to 10 persons.

_Seasonable_.--In best season from September to March.

HOW TO BUY MEAT ECONOMICALLY.--If the housekeeper is not very particular as to the precise joints to cook for dinner, there is oftentimes an opportunity for her to save as much money in her purchases of meat as will pay for the bread to eat with it. It often occurs, for instance, that the butcher may have a superfluity of certain joints, and these he would be glad to get rid of at a reduction of sometimes as much as 1d. or 1-1/2d. per lb., and thus, in a joint of 8 or 9 lbs., will be saved enough to buy 2 quartern loaves. It frequently happens with many butchers, that, in consequence of a demand for legs and loins of mutton, they have only shoulders left, and these they will be glad to sell at a reduction.

ROAST LEG OF MUTTON.

[Illustration: LEG OF MUTTON.]

727. INGREDIENTS.--Leg of mutton, a little salt.

_Mode_.--As mutton, when freshly killed, is never tender, hang it almostas long as it will keep; flour it, and put it in a cool airy place for afew days, if the weather will permit. Wash off the flour, wipe it verydry, and cut off the shank-bone; put it down to a brisk clear fire,dredge with flour, and keep continually basting the whole time it iscooking. About 20 minutes before serving, draw it near the fire to getnicely brown; sprinkle over it a little salt, dish the meat, pour offthe dripping, add some boiling water slightly salted, strain it over thejoint, and serve.

_Time_.--A leg of mutton weighing 10 lbs., about 2-1/4 or 2-1/2 hours;one of 7 lbs., about 2 hours, or rather less.

_Average cost_, 8-1/2d. per lb.

_Sufficient_.--A moderate-sized leg of mutton sufficient for 6 or 8persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time, but not so good in June, July, and August.

ROAST LOIN OF MUTTON.

728. INGREDIENTS.--Loin of mutton, a little salt.

_Mode_.--Cut and trim off the superfluous fat, and see that the butcherjoints the meat properly, as thereby much annoyance is saved to thecarver, when it comes to table. Have ready a nice clear fire (it neednot be a very wide large one), put down the meat, dredge with flour, andbaste well until it is done. Make the gravy as for roast leg of mutton,and serve very hot.

_Mode_.--Hang the mutton till tender, bone it, and sprinkle over itpepper, mace, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg in the above proportion, allof which must be pounded very fine. Let it remain for a day, then make aforcemeat by recipe No. 417, cover the meat with it, and roll and bindit up firmly. Half bake it in a slow oven, let it grow cold, take offthe fat, and put the gravy into a stewpan; flour the meat, put it in thegravy, and stew it till perfectly tender. Now take out the meat, unbindit, add to the gravy wine and ketchup as above, give one boil, and pourover the meat. Serve with red-currant jelly; and, if obtainable, a fewmushrooms stewed for a few minutes in the gravy, will be found a greatimprovement.

_Time_.--1-1/2 hour to bake the meat, 1-1/2 hour to stew gently.

_Average cost_, 4s. 9d. _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.--This joint will be found very nice if rolled and stuffed, ashere directed, and plainly roasted. It should be well basted, and servedwith a good gravy and currant jelly.

BOILED NECK OF MUTTON.

730. INGREDIENTS.--4 lbs. of the middle, or best end of the neck ofmutton; a little salt.

_Mode_.--Trim off a portion of the fat, should there be too much, and ifit is to look particularly nice, the chine-bone should be sawn down, theribs stripped halfway down, and the ends of the bones chopped off; thisis, however, not necessary. Put the meat into sufficient _boiling_ waterto cover it; when it boils, add a little salt and remove all the scum.Draw the saucepan to the side of the fire, and let the water get so coolthat the finger may be borne in it; then simmer very _slowly_ and gentlyuntil the meat is done, which will be in about 1-1/2 hour, or rathermore, reckoning from the time that it begins to simmer.

Serve with turnips and caper sauce, No. 382, and pour a little of itover the meat. The turnips should be boiled with the mutton; and, whenat hand, a few carrots will also be found an improvement. These,however, if very large and thick, must be cut into long thinnish pieces,or they will not be sufficiently done by the time the mutton is ready.Garnish the dish with carrots and turnips placed alternately round themutton.

_Time_.--4 lbs. of the neck of mutton, about 1-1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, 8-1/2 d. per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 6 or 7 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

THE POETS ON SHEEP.--The keeping of flocks seems to have been the first employment of mankind; and the most ancient sort of poetry was probably pastoral. The poem known as the Pastoral gives a picture of the life of the simple shepherds of the golden age, who are supposed to have beguiled their time in singing. In all pastorals, repeated allusions are made to the "fleecy flocks," the "milk-white lambs," and "the tender ewes;" indeed, the sheep occupy a position in these poems inferior only to that of the shepherds who tend them. The "nibbling sheep" has ever been a favourite of the poets, and has supplied them with figures and similes without end. Shakspere frequently compares men to sheep. When Gloster rudely drives the lieutenant from the side of Henry VI., the poor king thus touchingly speaks of his helplessness;--

"So flies the reckless shepherd from the wolf: So first the harmless sheep doth yield his fleece, And next his throat, unto the butcher's knife."

In the "Two Gentlemen of Verona," we meet with the following humorous comparison:--

"_Proteus_. The sheep for fodder follow the shepherd, the shepherd for food follows not the sheep: thou for wages followest thy master, thy master for wages follows not thee; therefore, thou art a sheep.

"_Speed_. Such another proof will make me cry _baa_."

The descriptive poets give us some charming pictures of sheep. Every one is familiar with the sheep-shearing scene in Thomson's "Seasons:"--

"Heavy and dripping, to the breezy brow Slow move the harmless race; where, as they spread Their dwelling treasures to the sunny ray, Inly disturb'd, and wond'ring what this wild Outrageous tumult means, their loud complaints The country fill; and, toss'd from rock to rock, Incessant bleatings run around the hills."

What an exquisite idea of stillness is conveyed in the oft-quoted line from Gray's "Elegy:"--

"And drowsy tinklings lull the distant fold."

From Dyer's quaint poem of "The Fleece" we could cull a hundred passages relating to sheep; but we have already exceeded our space. We cannot, however, close this brief notice of the allusions that have been made to sheep by our poets, without quoting a couple of verses from Robert Burns's "Elegy on Poor Mailie," his only "pet _yowe_:"--

"Thro' a' the town she troll'd by him; A lang half-mile she could descry him; Wi' kindly bleat, when she did spy him. She ran wi' speed; A friend mair faithfu' ne'er cam' nigh him Than Mailie dead.

731. INGREDIENTS.--A few slices of a cold leg or loin of mutton, saltand pepper to taste, 1 blade of pounded mace, 1 small bunch of savouryherbs minced very fine, 2 or 3 shalots, 2 or 3 oz. of butter, 1dessertspoonful of flour, 1/2 pint of gravy, 1 tablespoonful oflemon-juice.

_Mode_.--Cut some very thin slices from a leg or the chump end of a loinof mutton; sprinkle them with pepper, salt, pounded mace, minced savouryherbs, and minced shalot; fry them in butter, stir in a dessertspoonfulof flour, add the gravy and lemon-juice, simmer very gently about 5 or 7minutes, and serve immediately.

_Time_.--5 to 7 minutes.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the meat, 6d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

[Illustration: MUTTON CUTLETS.]

MUTTON CUTLETS WITH MASHED POTATOES.

732. INGREDIENTS.--About 3 lbs. of the best end of the neck of mutton,salt and pepper to taste, mashed potatoes.

_Mode_.--Procure a well-hung neck of mutton, saw off about 3 inches ofthe top of the bones, and cut the cutlets of a moderate thickness. Shapethem by chopping off the thick part of the chine-bone; beat them flatwith a cutlet-chopper, and scrape quite clean, a portion of the top ofthe bone. Broil them over a nice clear fire for about 7 or 8 minutes,and turn them frequently. Have ready some smoothly-mashed whitepotatoes; place these in the middle of the dish; when the cutlets aredone, season with pepper and salt; arrange them round the potatoes, withthe thick end of the cutlets downwards, and serve very hot and quickly.(See Coloured Plate.)

_Time_.--7 or 8 minutes. _Average cost_, for this quantity, 2s. 4d.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.--Cutlets may be served in various ways; with peas, tomatoes,onions, sauce piquante, &c.

_Mode_.--Cold mutton may be made into very good pies if well seasonedand mixed with a few herbs; if the leg is used, cut it into very thinslices; if the loin or neck, into thin cutlets. Place some at the bottomof the dish; season well with pepper, salt, mace, parsley, and herbs;then put a layer of potatoes sliced, then more mutton, and so on tillthe dish is full; add the gravy, cover with a crust, and bake for 1hour.

_Time_.--1 hour.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.--The remains of an underdone leg of mutton may be converted intoa very good family pudding, by cutting the meat into slices, and puttingthem into a basin lined with a suet crust. It should be seasoned wellwith pepper, salt, and minced shalot, covered with a crust, and boiledfor about 3 hours.

_Mode_.--Bone the mutton, and cut the meat into steaks all of the samethickness, and leave but very little fat. Cut up the kidneys, andarrange these with the meat neatly in a pie-dish; sprinkle over them theminced parsley and a seasoning of pepper and salt; pour in the gravy,and cover with a tolerably good puff crust. Bake for 1-1/2 hour, orrather longer, should the pie be very large, and let the oven be ratherbrisk. A well-made suet crust may be used instead of puff crust, andwill be found exceedingly good.

_Time_.--1-1/2 hour, or rather longer. _Average cost_, 2s.

_Sufficient_ for 6 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

MUTTON PUDDING.

735. INGREDIENTS.--About 2 lbs. of the chump end of the loin of mutton,weighed after being boned; pepper and salt to taste, suet crust madewith milk (see Pastry), in the proportion of 6 oz. of suet to each poundof flour; a very small quantity of minced onion (this may be omittedwhen the flavour is not liked).

_Mode_.--Cut the meat into rather thin slices, and season them withpepper and salt; line the pudding-dish with crust; lay in the meat, andnearly, but do not quite, fill it up with water; when the flavour isliked, add a small quantity of minced onion; cover with crust, andproceed in the same manner as directed in recipe No. 605, using the samekind of pudding-dish as there mentioned.

_Mode_.--Cut the mutton into small chops, and trim off the greaterportion of the fat; put the butter into a stewpan, dredge in a littleflour, add the sliced onions, and keep stirring till brown; then put inthe meat. When this is quite brown, add the water, and the carrots andturnips, which should be cut into very thin slices; season with pepperand salt, and stew till quite tender, which will be in about 3/4 hour.When in season, green peas may be substituted for the carrots andturnips: they should be piled in the centre of the dish, and the chopslaid round.

_Time_.--3/4 hour. _Average cost_, exclusive of the meat, 4d.

_Seasonable_, with peas, from June to August.

ROAST NECK OF MUTTON.

[Illustration: NECK OF MUTTON 1-2. _Best end_. 2-3. _Scrag_.]

737. INGREDIENTS.--Neck of mutton; a little salt.

_Mode_.--For roasting, choose the middle, or the best end, of the neckof mutton, and if there is a very large proportion of fat, trim off someof it, and save it for making into suet puddings, which will be foundexceedingly good. Let the bones be cut short and see that it is properlyjointed before it is laid down to the fire, as they will be more easilyseparated when they come to table. Place the joint at a nice briskfire, dredge it with flour, and keep continually basting until done. Afew minutes before serving, draw it nearer the the fire to acquire anice colour, sprinkle over it a little salt, pour off the dripping, adda little boiling water slightly salted, strain this over the meat andserve. Red-currant jelly may be sent to table with it.

_Time_.--4 lbs. of the neck of mutton, rather more than 1 hour.

_Average cost_, 8-1/2d. per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

WOOLLEN MANUFACTURES.--The distinction between hair and wool is rather arbitrary than natural, consisting in the greater or less degrees of fineness, softness and pliability of the fibres. When the fibres possess these properties so far as to admit of their being spun and woven into a texture sufficiently pliable to be used as an article of dress, they are called wool. The sheep, llama, Angora goat, and the goat of Thibet, are the animals from which most of the wool used in manufactures is obtained. The finest of all wools is that from the goat of Thibet, of which the Cashmere shawls are made. Of European wools, the finest is that yielded by the Merino sheep, the Spanish and Saxon breeds taking the precedence. The Merino sheep, as now naturalized in Australia, furnishes an excellent fleece; but all varieties of sheep-wool, reared either in Europe or Australia are inferior in softness of feel to that grown in India, and to that of the llama of the Andes. The best of our British wools are inferior in fineness to any of the above-mentioned, being nearly twelve times the thickness of the finest Spanish merino; but for the ordinary purposes of the manufacturer, they are unrivalled.

ROAST SADDLE OF MUTTON.

[Illustration: SADDLE OF MUTTON.]

738. INGREDIENTS.--Saddle of mutton; a little salt.

_Mode_.--To insure this joint being tender, let it hang for ten days ora fortnight, if the weather permits. Cut off the tail and flaps and trimaway every part that has not indisputable pretensions to be eaten, andhave the skin taken off and skewered on again. Put it down to a bright,clear fire, and, when the joint has been cooking for an hour, remove theskin and dredge it with flour. It should not be placed too near thefire, as the fat should not be in the slightest degree burnt. Keepconstantly basting, both before and after the skin is removed; sprinklesome salt over the joint. Make a little gravy in the dripping-pan; pourit over the meat, which send to table with a tureen of made gravy andred-currant jelly.

_Mode_.--Put the joint down to a bright, clear fire; flour it well, andkeep continually basting. About 1/4 hour before serving, draw it nearthe fire, that the outside may acquire a nice brown colour, but notsufficiently near to blacken the fat. Sprinkle a little fine salt overthe meat, empty the dripping-pan of its contents, pour in a littleboiling water slightly salted, and strain this over the joint. Onionsauce, or stewed Spanish onions, are usually sent to table with thisdish, and sometimes baked potatoes.

_Time_.--A shoulder of mutton weighing 6 or 7 lbs., 1-1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, 8d. per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.--Shoulder of mutton may be dressed in a variety of ways; boiled,and served with onion sauce; boned, and stuffed with a good vealforcemeat; or baked, with sliced potatoes in the dripping-pan.

THE ETTRICK SHEPHERD.--James Hogg was perhaps the most remarkable man that ever wore the _maud_ of a shepherd. Under the garb, aspect, and bearing of a rude peasant (and rude enough he was in most of these things, even after no inconsiderable experience of society), the world soon discovered a true poet. He taught himself to write, by copying the letters of a printed book as he lay watching his flock on the hillside, and believed that he had reached the utmost pitch of his ambition when he first found that his artless rhymes could touch the heart of the ewe-milker who partook the shelter of his mantle during the passing storm. If "the shepherd" of Professor Wilson's "Noctes Ambrosianae" may be taken as a true portrait of James Hogg, we must admit that, for quaintness of humour, the poet of Ettrick Forest had few rivals. Sir Walter Scott said that Hogg's thousand little touches of absurdity afforded him more entertainment than the best comedy that ever set the pit in a roar. Among the written productions of the shepherd-poet, is an account of his own experiences in sheep-tending, called "The Shepherd's Calender." This work contains a vast amount of useful information upon sheep, their diseases, habits, and management. The Ettrick Shepherd died in 1835.

_Mode_.--Detach the brains from the heads without breaking them, and putthem into a pan of warm water; remove the skin, and let them remain fortwo hours. Have ready a saucepan of boiling water, add a little vinegarand salt, and put in the brains. When they are quite firm, take them outand put them into very cold water. Place 2 or 3 slices of bacon in astewpan, put in the brains, the onion stuck with 2 cloves, the parsley,and a good seasoning of pepper and salt; cover with stock, or weakbroth, and boil them gently for about 25 minutes. Have ready somecroutons; arrange these in the dish alternately with the brains, andcover with a matelote sauce, No. 512, to which has been added the aboveproportion of lemon-juice.

_Mode_.--Have the feet cleaned, and the long bone extracted from them.Put the suet into a stewpan, with the onions and carrot sliced, thebay-leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper, and let these simmer for 5 minutes.Add 2 tablespoonfuls of flour and the water, and keep stirring till itboils; then put in the feet. Let these simmer for 3 hours, or untilperfectly tender, and take them and lay them on a sieve. Mix together,on a plate, with the back of a spoon, butter, salt, flour (1teaspoonful), pepper, nutmeg, and lemon-juice as above, and put thefeet, with a gill of milk, into a stewpan. When very hot, add thebutter, &c., and stir continually till melted. Now mix the yolks of 2eggs with 5 tablespoonfuls of milk; stir this to the other ingredients,keep moving the pan over the fire continually for a minute or two, butdo not allow it to boil after the eggs are added. Serve in a very hotdish, and garnish with croutons, or sippets of toasted bread.

_Mode_.--Clean the head well, and let it soak in warm water for 2 hours,to get rid of the blood; put it into a saucepan, with sufficient coldwater to cover it, and when it boils, add the vegetables, peeled andsliced, and the remaining ingredients; before adding the oatmeal, mix itto a smooth batter with a little of the liquor. Keep stirring till itboils up; then shut the saucepan closely, and let it stew gently for1-1/2 or 2 hours. It may be thickened with rice or barley, but oatmealis preferable.

_Time_.--1-1/2 or 2 hours. _Average cost_, 8d. each.

_Sufficient_ for 3 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

SINGED SHEEP'S HEAD.--The village of Dudingston, which stands "within a mile of Edinburgh town," was formerly celebrated for this ancient and homely Scottish dish. In the summer months, many opulent citizens used to resort to this place to solace themselves over singed sheep's heads, boiled or baked. The sheep fed upon the neighbouring hills were slaughtered at this village, and the carcases were sent to town; but the heads were left to be consumed in the place. We are not aware whether the custom of eating sheep's heads at Dudingston is still kept up by the good folks of Edinburgh.

_Mode_.--Make a smooth batter of flour, milk, and eggs in the aboveproportion; butter a baking-dish, and pour in the batter. Into thisplace a few slices of cold mutton, previously well seasoned, and thekidneys, which should be cut into rather small pieces; bake about 1hour, or rather longer, and send it to table in the dish it was bakedin. Oysters or mushrooms may be substituted for the kidneys, and will befound exceedingly good.

_Mode_.--Remove the skin from a breast of lamb, put it into a saucepanof boiling water, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Take it out and layit in cold water. Line the bottom of a stewpan with a few thin slices ofbacon; lay the lamb on these; peel the lemon, cut it into slices, andput these on the meat, to keep it white and make it tender; cover with 1or 2 more slices of bacon; add the stock, onion, and herbs, and set iton a slow fire to simmer very gently until tender. Have ready some greenpeas, put these on a dish, and place the lamb on the top of these. Theappearance of this dish may be much improved by glazing the lamb, andspinach may be substituted for the peas when variety is desired.

_Time_.--1-1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 10d. per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 3 persons.

_Seasonable_,--grass lamb, from Easter to Michaelmas.

THE LAMB AS A SACRIFICE.--The number of lambs consumed in sacrifices by the Hebrews must have been very considerable. Two lambs "of the first year" were appointed to be sacrificed daily for the morning and evening sacrifice; and a lamb served as a substitute for the first-born of unclean animals, such as the ass, which could not be accepted as an offering to the Lord. Every year, also, on the anniversary of the deliverance of the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt, every family was ordered to sacrifice a lamb or kid, and to sprinkle some of its blood upon the door-posts, in commemoration of the judgment of God upon the Egyptians. It was to be eaten roasted, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, in haste, with the loins girded, the shoes on the feet, and the staff in the hand; and whatever remained until the morning was to be burnt. The sheep was also used in the numerous special, individual, and national sacrifices ordered by the Jewish law. On extraordinary occasions, vast quantities of sheep were sacrificed at once; thus Solomon, on the completion of the temple, offered "sheep and oxen that could not be told nor numbered for multitude."

_Mode_.--Skin the lamb, cut it into pieces, and season them with pepperand salt; lay these in a stewpan, pour in sufficient stock or gravy tocover them, and stew very gently until tender, which will be in about1-1/2 hour. Just before serving, thicken the sauce with a little butterand flour; add the sherry, give one boil, and pour it over the meat.Green peas, or stewed mushrooms, may be strewed over the meat, and willbe found a very great improvement.

_Time_.--1-1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 10d. per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 3 persons.

_Seasonable_,--grass lamb, from Easter to Michaelmas.

LAMB CHOPS.

746. INGREDIENTS.--Loin of lamb, pepper and salt to taste.

_Mode_.--Trim off the flap from a fine loin of lamb, aid cut it intochops about 3/4 inch in thickness. Have ready a bright clear fire; laythe chops on a gridiron, and broil them of a nice pale brown, turningthem when required. Season them with pepper and salt; serve very hot andquickly, and garnish with crisped parsley, or place them on mashedpotatoes. Asparagus, spinach, or peas are the favourite accompanimentsto lamb chops.

_Mode_.--Cut the cutlets from a neck of lamb, and shape them by cuttingoff the thick part of the chine-bone. Trim off most of the fat and allthe skin, and scrape the top part of the bones quite clean. Brush thecutlets over with egg, sprinkle them with bread crumbs, and season withpepper and salt. Now dip them into clarified butter, sprinkle over a fewmore bread crumbs, and fry them over a sharp fire, turning them whenrequired. Lay them before the fire to drain, and arrange them on a dishwith spinach in the centre, which should be previously well boiled,drained, chopped, and seasoned.

_Time_.--About 7 or 8 minutes. _Average cost_, 10d. per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.

_Seasonable_ from Easter to Michaelmas.

_Note_.--Peas, asparagus, or French beans, may be substituted for thespinach; or lamb cutlets may be served with stewed cucumbers, Soubisesauce, &c. &c.